I'm very excited (and super nervous) to be taking on The Arctic Challenge in January 2026- a 4 day endurance event that includes a 35km dog sled, ice fishing, and a 20km hike through the beautiful, icy terrain of Lapland.

The arctic wilderness will test my limits, with -35 degree weather and only six hours of twilight a day (the sun doesn't even rise at that time of year!). I thought winters in Birmingham were bad enough so I can't quite imagine how cold and challenging it's going to be!

I am doing this challenge to raise money for the fabulous National Literacy Trust who help give children in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK the literacy skills to succeed in life.

Having lived in libraries and book shops as a child I know how important reading can be for your development and think it's important that everyone can have access to reading materials.

On average, children from the poorest backgrounds start school 19 months behind their more privileged peers and those without the expected level of literacy skills are held back at every stage of their lives.

They are:

- five times more likely to fail to meet the expected standards in English at age 11

- four times more likely to be unemployed aged 34

- three times more likely to have mental health problems as adults.

I'm hoping to help bridge this literacy gap, by raising £2,000 in the lead up to this event.

If you're reading this, thank you so much for supporting me and this incredible cause. Hopefully we can help children from the poorest backgrounds to reach their full potential.